Improvement in clothes-pounders



O. W. ROBINSON. Clothes-Founders.

' Paten t ed Nov. 4, 1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. ROBINSON, OF BATTLE GREEK, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN CLOTHES-POUNDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 221,362, dated November4, 1879 application filed July 26, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES IV. ROBIN- SON, of Battle Creek, in thecounty of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Clothes- Pounders; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is avertical axial section. Fig. 2 is a bottom View; and Fig. 3 is a topview.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in all thefigures.

This invention relates to air-compressing clothes -pounders; and itconsists in an improvedconstruction and arrangement of parts, ashereinafter described, and particularly pointed out-in the claims, theobject of my said improvement being to produce an effective andeasily-operated pounder, which will readily overcome the suction inwithdrawing it from the waterdnring the operation of pounding theclothes in washing.

In the drawings, A is the outer casing of my improved pounder, which isof the usual cone form, and has a central tube, B, inserted verticallythrough its apex, which said tube reaches down flush with the lower rim,a, of casin g A.

O is an arched diaphragm, inserted horizontally in the casing A, andforming an airtight joint around the tube B, which penetrates itcentrally. This horizontal arched partition or diaphragm O has a flatannular rim, 0, the edge of which is soldered upon the inner wall of theconical casing.

D D D D are vertical partitions, each having a series of holes, cl,which said partitions are set, preferably, at right angles to eachother, and reach from the lower part of the central tube, 13, to theinner edge of the cone, just below the flat'rim c of the diaphragm C, soas to leave an open space between their upper edgesand the centralarched part of said diaphragm.

Tube B has a series of slots, I), a short distance below its upper end,each of which opens up into a funnel, E, secured upon the outside of thetube, as shown on the drawings. Instead of three separate funnels, onefor each opening I), as shown, a single larger funnel may be usedencircling the central tube, B.

The operation of my improved clothespounder is as follows: A handle, F,having been inserted into the socket formed by the upper part of tube 13above the perforations b.

the pounder is reciprocated vertically up and down upon the clothesimmersed in the water. The diaphragm 0, being arched or raised in themiddle, admits alarge volume of air in the lower chamber of the pounder,which is compressed, and'thus forces the water contained below theair-space evenly through all parts of the clothes covered by the pounderin its downward motion, this operation being facilitated by theperforated partitions D.

In lifting the pounder up above the surface of the water in the tub fora fresh supply of air it is readily disengaged from the clothes below,which will adhere to it on account of the suction or vacuum in the lowerpart of the pounder, by air entering into this chamber below diaphragm Gfrom without through the funnels E, apertures 11, and tube B, thusequalizing the air-pressure and causing the clothes to fall back intothe tub. The funnels E serve to catch the air in lifting the pounder andforce it into the central tube through its perforations b.

Having thus described my invention,I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the- United States-- The improved clothes pounderherein shown and described, consisting of the outer cone or casing, A,arched diaphragm O, perforated partitions D, central tube, B, extendingthrough the diaphragins to the base of the pounder, and having aperturesZ) and exterior funnels, E, all constructed and arranged to operatesubstantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have heretoaffixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES WV. ROBINSON.

Witnesses GEORGE E. ROBINSON, EMILY O. ROBINSON.

